Emergency Department

What to do when an emergency occurs

Be prepared. Dial 911. Keep emergency numbers near your telephone. When calling for help, speak calmly and clearly. Give your name, address, phone number, location of victim (such as upstairs in the bedroom) and nature of the problem. Do not hang up until the dispatcher tells you to do so because additional information may be needed.

Expect the best care

St. Anthony Community Hospital is committed to providing service excellence to our community through the most comprehensive care. Open 24 hours a day, seven days a week, the Emergency Department includes board certified emergency physicians, skilled emergency nurses and technicians.

What is the process?

Unless you need to be treated immediately, you will be directed to a registration area. You will be asked for basic information for your medical record.

How are patients prioritized?

Usually, the first person you will see in the Emergency Department is the triage nurse. This nurse checks vital signs including temperature, heart rate, blood pressure and breathing and asks questions to evaluate your condition. In the Emergency Department, the most seriously ill or injured patients are treated first. This process is called triage (pronounced tree-ahj), the French word meaning “to sort.”

Visitors and privacy

At the discretion of the care providers, one visitor may accompany each patient in the treatment area. This is to help us ensure the safety and confidentiality of the patients we treat. To maintain privacy for all patients, we ask that you stay in the patient’s room and we will pull the curtain for privacy.

In what order are patients seen?

Patients are not always treated in the order in which they arrive. The most seriously ill or injured patients are treated first. If your condition is not life-threatening, you may be asked to be seated in the waiting room until a bed is available. Emergency Department staff is always available if you have questions or concerns. Unlike a physician’s office when appointments are scheduled in advance, many emergency patients may arrive at once.

You may also wait for the results of x-rays or tests that will enable the physician to complete your care.